The Technique

We’ve all been there: Standing over a hot grill, waiting for the ribs to get tender or wondering if the chicken is cooked through (but not dried out). Brine-boiling makes grilled summer meals as easy and quick as they should be—both speeding up the cooking process and eliminating any guesswork. It even lets you prep the meat in advance.

Here’s how it works. Precook whole chicken legs, pork ribs, or beef short ribs in boiling water generously seasoned with salt, sugar, and garlic. Like a traditional brine (a mixture of salt, cold water, and sometimes seasonings in which you soak meats before cooking), this solution seasons the meat and helps keep it moist. But here you’re actually cooking the meat in the brine, which means that when you’re ready to grill, it will take mere minutes—you’re simply crisping up the exterior and layering on some smokiness. You can add a dry rub or some sauce—but the meat is great without it. And this time of year, less is more.